Doctor's Choice Home Care & Hospice

If I could give this place ZERO STARS I would! I think they should be shut down. My family entrusted Doctors Choice Hospice with my father's end-of-life care, and it is a decision I deeply regret. My dad had throat cancer that had metastases into his bones/lung Instead of allowing us to focus on spending precious time with him during his final days, we spent those days constantly chasing down medications, waiting on staff, making phone calls, and advocating for the care he should have already been receiving. From the very first day, there were serious problems. We waited until 10:30 p.m. for my dad's comfort medications. When I finally called to find out where they were, I was told the physician had not even signed the order. The medications didn't arrive until approximately 1:00 a.m. A few days later, despite notifying hospice two days in advance that my dad was running low on medication because of a dosage change, it happened again. When I called to check on the refill, I learned the physician still had not signed the order. I was promised the medications would arrive the following morning, but they didn't. Once again, I had to call and follow up myself. When my father fell and hit his head, it took approximately five hours for someone to get there to check on him. Communication was consistently poor. We were assigned a nurse who was on vacation. The director, Jessica, gave me her personal cell phone number and told me to call if I had any problems. When those problems arose, I called multiple times and never received an answer or a return call. I later learned she had resigned. One of the intake nurse's first conversations with my father included telling him that his tumor could rupture, causing massive bleeding and that he could bleed to death. While families deserve honest information, this was an incredibly distressing way to introduce hospice care to someone who had just enrolled. Perhaps the most heartbreaking issue was my father's comfort. We were repeatedly told he was already receiving the maximum dose of medication. After consulting another hospice provider and speaking with two additional nurses outside of this company, I learned that was simply not true. It became clear that his medications could have been adjusted to better manage his pain and agitation. Instead, he spent much of his final days restless, uncomfortable, and repeatedly trying to get out of bed even though he was too weak to walk. We had to watch him 24 hours a day in order to make sure he did not hurt himself because he was trying to get up so much. The Vice President, the primary RN (whom we only saw once during the entire eight days my father was under their care), and the social worker all called me personally and promised things would improve. Unfortunately, they didn't. Throughout this time, I was repeatedly told my father "had a long way to go" and was "not transitioning." It was obvious to our family that he was actively dying. I eventually made the difficult decision to transfer him to another hospice agency. However, during the holiday weekend, Doctors Choice Hospice refused to send my dad's paperwork until Monday. My father passed away before the transfer could be completed. Even after his death, the lack of follow-through continued. We were told the equipment would be picked up the next day after he passed away on Saturday. By Monday, no one had come. I called and Angela told me she would check on it and call me back. She never did. By Wednesday, as we were preparing to leave town for my father's funeral, I had to call again and insist that someone come remove the equipment. Only then did they finally retrieve it. No family should have to spend their loved one's final days fighting for medications, waiting hours for help, tracking down staff, and worrying whether their loved one is receiving adequate comfort care. Hospice is supposed to provide peace, compassion, and support during one of the hardest moments of a family's life. That was not our experience. I sincerely hope no other family has to endure what ours did.

I am a new employee with Doctor’s choice and I am really enjoying it. I appreciate all leadership for always being so happy to train and educate. I love the flexibility I have with taking care my patients and my daughter. I love the stability it creates for my family.

Furious How dare you come into my home one day after release from the hospital after spinal fusion surgery. And what did you want? a signature to bill my insurance. I was in so much pain I could barely move. When I asked what he was going to do for me, he kept repeating all he had to offer was physical or occasional therapy, when not only am I not to physical until 6 weeks post surgery, (it was 3 days) I’m not supposed to bend, lift, or twist for months. All you wanted was for me to sign for you to bill my insurance. This was totally about what you needed/ wanted and nothing to do with my post-surgical needs. I’m outraged at the audaciousness of your greed. Unbelievable. If this is not Medicare fraud I don’t what is, i need to report this practice of buzzards trying to pick the meat off of Medicare patients. Shame on you.